The invention relates to a control device for electrohydraulic support controllers, with an electronic individual controller comprising a plug board that contains first connecting pieces, with a terminal block that is mounted to the corresponding support frame, comprises recesses for holding second connecting pieces, which are arranged on the ends of the connecting cables of actuators or sensors, and is designed as a connecting unit for simultaneously connecting the first and second connecting pieces, with plug-in connectors for connecting cables for communicating with adjacent controllers, and with at least one intrinsically safe power supply that is located externally with respect to the individual controllers.
In underground mining, a variety of support frames arranged next to each other are required in longwall mining operations to keep the mining space clear for the extracting equipment. Each support frame of the longwall mining operation is assigned an individual controller, which contains the microelectronics for activating and monitoring the electrohydraulic functions of the shield support frame protected in a sturdy housing. Among the electrohydraulic support controllers used in practice, the individual controllers vary from one manufacturer to the next with respect to their hardware and application possibilities.
To enable at least repairs and effortless retrofitting and/or upgrading of the individual controllers to new hardware or software, the applicant suggested, in DE 37 08 902 02, mounting a terminal block on the shield support frame, into which all connecting cables of the sensors or actuators can be plugged with their connecting pieces, and into which plugs for the communication cables for communicating with adjacent controllers as well as for the supply of power through external power supply units can also be plugged. The back side of the individual controller is equipped with a plug board, the respective connecting pieces of which have been adapted to the arrangement of the connecting pieces in the terminal block so as to establish all plug-in connections among the connecting pieces simultaneously, by coupling the plug board to the terminal block, and integrate the respective individual controller in the underground longwall controller, support controller and powerpower supply. Due to the risk of explosion present at the longwall face, the first intrinsically safe power supply units are only sufficient for the intrinsically safe power supply of a group of for example 8 support frames, resulting in the presence of several first intrinsically safe power supply units in the longwall face.
For safety and functionality reasons, every shield support frame is equipped with a separate lamp. In presently existing control devices for electrohydraulic support controllers, the respective lamps are supplied with the necessary electric power via a separate line system, wherein the power for the lamps comes from a separate second power supply unit, while the power supply of the individual controllers is provided by the first power supply units. It has however already been suggested in the state of the art to combine the power supply for the lamp and the individual controllers (DE 30 17 993 A1 or DE 30 08 974 C2). For this purpose, a transformer is coupled to the longwall lamp, respectively, which then ensures the power supply for the individual controllers. This principle, however, is no longer employed and instead today 4-core cables are used in underground environments for power supply and data communication for individual controllers when communicating with adjacent controllers. Two cores of these tubular cables are for bi-directional data transmission, and two further cores are for supply with 12 V direct current. The lamps are therefore supplied with powerpower by means of a separate power supply unit and a separate electric circuit.
An object of the invention is to minimize wiring work in underground control devices and at the same time maintain the proven and tested concept in underground mining of individual controllers with a plug board and terminal block mounted to the shield support frame and coupled to the plug board.